Fulfillment of a Promise
by Hikari Hayashi
Summary: Taking place 2 years after Tanpopo left Meio School and went to Hokkaido; how will they act towards each other...what will happen...?
1. Memories

The Fulfillment of a Promise

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the cast of Imadoki…^_^;; Yuu Watase-sensei does! I'm writing this purely for the enjoyment of others (and myself) …since the series has ended. ;_;

_Author's Notes:_ Well, I never wrote an Imadoki fic before, and the last time I wrote a fic in general…was…a while back. So GOMEN if it's not as good…PLEASE REVIEW though! I need input to see if I should continue…Oh yes, the first part, the letter, was from the last act of Imadoki and was mostly translated by Mi-chan ([aoi_hane@hotmail.com][1]); I only did a little and edited. Arigato Mi-chan! *****hugs Mi-chan*** **And lastly…I will be using some Japanese in here, just 'cause it sounds…better. Let me know if you need a glossary, but mostly they're common, very common, words/phrases, and you can use the context to figure out the meaning. Scenes/Surroundings/Setting etc are marked by brackets [ ] and actions are marked by // around the action. I hope that wasn't confusing! Now enjoy…hopefully.

**Fulfillment of a Promise**

By Hikari

===Chapter 1: Memories===

[a letter]

"Yamazaki Tanpopo-sama. Are you well? I bet you are surrounded by friends as usual. I'm very busy everyday. Saionji is now the head of the gardening committee. Lately we have had 70 new members joining the committee. I'm thinking that the school is very "go green" now. //laughs// Speaking of Saionji, lately she is getting along very well with Kyougoku.I'm having a casual thought that they make a good couple //laughs//. Oh yes, have you heard from Uchimura? That CAJOLING Ogata has said "Let me take reponsibility of Arisa and my child." Isn't that great//laughs//. 

Other things, I heard from my brother that Erika is now studying English. It looks like everyone is working hard one way or another. Right now, it's very cold here. But when spring comes, you can see dandelions growing here and there, just like the way you grow flowers in a meadow. This is what I plan to do next time. When spring comes, I plan to study in a university in Hokkaido. And then we can grow flowers there together. The 2 of us, together..."

[end of letter]

Tanpopo repeatedly read the letter and a few others that Kouki sent her, with tears slowly forming in her eyes. "Kouki-kun…" Tanpopo gazed at a picture of both of them that Aoi had taken a snapshot of using his digital camera. "I wonder if you still remember what you wrote to me? Time goes by so fast…ne? I cannot believe coming spring term I'll be going to the university…" A tear trickled down her soft complexion. "But, but …why haven't I heard from you…do you still remember what you said?" 

[flashback]

//Kouki kisses Tanpopo// 

"Goodbye until the day we meet again…"

//They hug//

[end flashback]

A stream of tears now ran down her skin. "…I guess it's all the work your family put upon you…and the gardening committee since a new staff is taking over…" With this thought, Tanpopo cheered up a bit. 

"Kon-Kon!" Poplar and Corn tried to take Tanpopo back from whatever world she was in. 

"KON-KON!" The two lightly tugged at her skirt with their paws and nudged their food dishes toward the girl. Poplar couldn't take it much longer, and whacked Tanpopo's hand.

"Nani? OH! I forgot your dinner! Gomen ne…! I was lost in deep thought again…" A sweatdrop appeared near Tanpopo's head. "I hope you guys aren't starving…" The two foxes glared at her, tapping on their dishes.

"Tanpopo-chan! Dinner!" Her grandmother's little voice managed to reach Tanpopo's room.

"Hai, Baasan!" Tanpopo called back. She quickly filled the dishes with the foxes' dinner. "Maybe I'll call Kouki-kun and talk to him…I haven't talked to him for a long time…after all, Meio school is out…" she thought to herself. The pronunciation of Meio school flooded her mind with old memories, especially of the gardening committee. Tanpopo paused in her tracks, and stared at a picture of the whole group: Arisa, Saionji, Kouki, Aoi, Youji, and herself, taken before Tanpopo left for Hokkaido two years before. She slowly gazed at each person. "…I…I miss him…" Kouki's smile in the picture particularly caught her attention, forming a smile on her lips, and bringing back a flashback of what Kouki had whispered in her ear right before she left. "…Maybe I will." She said with a firm voice, and continued down the dark hallway to her grandparents after she adjusted the picture frame.

===Ending Chapter Notes===

Again, be a good reader and review…that way I know whether to continue to fic or not. But I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Sorry it's kinda short too…I'm quite busy over summer ^_^;; 

   [1]: mailto:aoi_hane@hotmail.com



	2. A New School

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the cast of Imadoki…^_^;; Yuu Watase-sensei does

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the cast of Imadoki…^_^;; Yuu Watase-sensei does! I'm writing this purely for the enjoyment of others (and myself) …eh, you know what disclaimers are for…

_Author's Notes:_ Well, I think I got enough encouragement to continue…(otherwise, would this chapter be here?) Sorry for the short first chapter, I did write it during class ^_^;; Again, I will be using some Japanese, just 'cause it sounds…better. Let me know if you need a glossary, but mostly they're common, very common, words/phrases, and you can use the context to figure out the meaning. Scenes/Surroundings/Setting etc are marked by brackets [ ] and actions are marked by // around the action. Inner thoughts are _Italized_. I hope that wasn't confusing! Now enjoy…hopefully.

**Fulfillment of a Promise**

By Hikari

===Chapter 2: A New School===

[busy Tokyo backdrop, inside Kouki's house]

"Kugyou, are you ready to go yet?! Oi, HAYAKU!! I can't wait much longer!" Aoi took off his new pair of Vans sneakers and prepared his aim to lob it, until Saionji firmly but gently put her hands on his right shoulder. Aoi put his shoe back on reluctantly.

"That's a good young man," she said as she patted his blond spikes lightheartedly with her other hand. 

Kouki couldn't help himself to a muffled laugh. He recalled the days the two were hardly getting along, talking crassly to each other as if they were arguing. _Talk about how times have changed so much. More than a year ago, who'd ever guessed they'd get along, let alone us all become friends? _He grinned as he thought this to himself. _It was almost yesterday that the Gardening Committee first started…_Kouki stopped his movements at that line. He still remembered when the girl from Hokkaido landed on him that day before the school term had started two years back. "Tanpopo-sama…" He no longer organized the contents of his luggage, but picked up a photo his Youji had left him before traveling to America to study photography. It was with no question a splendid, candid, picture, with Tanpopo in one of her best moments: laughing and holding one of Poplar's paws up. He oculd almost hear her enthusiastic greetings – "OHA~" when she entered the classroom, or saw any of her friends. "Tanpopo-sama, I haven't replied your letter in so long a time…I've been so busy…with Father's company and such…but…that's no reason not to reply…Gomen…gomen-nasai…"

Aoi started complain to Saionji. "If he takes that long to check his belongings, we'll never get to the airport! Oy, Kugyou! Are we leaving yet?"

"Mm." Kouki rubbed his left eye, wiping away a forming tear in effect. 

"Something wrong, Kugyou-kun?" Saionji started to walk over. 

Aoi watched her walk away from him. _She looks…beautiful…_

_ _

Kouki shook his head. "Iie. Let's go. Eh, Aoi?" Kouki waved his hand in front of the blond's face.

"….LET'S GO!" He had snapped out of his trance. "Hurry up everyone, to the Airport!" 

Saionji sweatdropped. "Aoi-kun…ne, there's only 3 of us total…including the person who's leaving…" 

"…I forgot." Aoi hurled the suitcase and duffel bag into the trunk of the car. "Kugyou's driver, to the Airport!" 

"He's obviously enthusiastic about me leaving…" 

Nodding, she turned around to face Kouki. "You ready to see her again, after all this time? You practically could've gone to visit her anytime you know." 

"…I don't know. I would've went, but my father needed a helper desperately for his company, since it's expanding (yet again)…" He sighed. 

The girl smiled. "Don't worry, everything will be all right." _I've grown…to be..considerate…?_ For a brief moment, Saionji had a puzzle countenance.

_I wonder if Tanpopo has changed..._he mused over for a split second before sitting in the car. The car drove away with the 3 young adults in the backseat, and from behind the shadow of a person with spikes being strangled by someone with glasses can be seen, along with a figure backing away from others. 

* * *

[peaceful Hokkaido, a day later]

"Kon Kon!"

"Kon!"

"Kon Kon!"

Echoes of the calls of Poplar, Corn and friends filled her room. Yet still she slept soundly through this commotion. Poplar and Corn started to get frustrated at the sound of the blaring alarm clock that had been ringing for a good 15 minutes. Corn had tried to break the annoying device, but with no avail, leaving Poplar to devise a plan of action to get he lazy girl awake for her class registration at the university. A little kit propped himself next to Tanpopo's head on the soft, flower print pillow she had sewn herself a week ago during her break. Adjusting himself, he waves his little, bushy tail –accidently- over Tanpopo's nose. The girl sneezed, moved a little, and finally rubbed her sleepy eyes. 

"Nani?" she muttered until she realized that the alarm clock still rang. "…WAAAAAH! I almost forgot! REGISTRATION!" Tanpopo rushed out of the bed, absent-mindedly tossing her covers on the poor kit snoozing away on her pillow. After throwing on a simple, light blue with dark blue borders sailor dress, braiding two tails with 2 ribbons intertwined in each, grabbing her school bag, and placing a white hat with a daisy on the front on her head, she set off walking to the bus stop.

A gentle wind carried the fragrance and petals of wildflowers by. The meadow basked in the golden hues of the sun, and the songs of native birds accompanied by the rustle of grass stalks and trees, and hum of bees created a natural orchestra. Perhaps each aspect of life had a part they wanted to sing out to, express. Blossoms and other sprays appeared to have showered the rich, greenness of the leaves on the trees. "How pureeti…" she tested out her English in her mind, as she lost herself among the natural beauty.

The sound of steam exhaustion snapped her back into reality. "The bus!" Tanpopo quickly scrambled to get onboard. "Arigato gozaimasu, Bus Driver-san, for waiting!" The bus driver let out a deep sigh. "Hai, please take a seat," he said as he gave her a slight nod.

As the bus pulled up to the stop outside the university gates, she saw a throng of people. She jumped off cheerfully at the thought of making new friends, and waved to the bus as it departed away to another stop. _I actually passed the entrance exam for this place…? There's so many people here…And….I don't know anyone…Too bad everyone is going somewhere else…It's so beautiful here…_Before continuing walking, she looked at the elm trees covered with new buds and the birds hopping about from branch to branch, all in the front of the backdrop of Mt. Teine. _Kouki-kun would have liked the environment…I wonder…_She took a deep breath, sighed, and joined the crowd pouring into the large wrought iron gates of Hokkaido University. 

===Ending Chapter Notes===

Again, be a good reader and give me a review…that way I know whether to continue the fic or not. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It _is_ longer than the first one _;; By the way, I also wrote this part in class ^_^;__


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